14th Minute

Malinovskyi took the corner, his delivery aimed toward the penalty spot where Tolói had charged forward from defense, but Milan's zonal marking was disciplined—Tomori attacking the ball from his position and heading clear with authority that sent it thirty yards upfield.

The clearance dropped toward Leão who chested it down and immediately turned to attack, his acceleration taking him past Hateboer in two strides, and suddenly Atalanta's defense was scrambling to recover as he drove toward the box.

Djimsiti stepped across to challenge, showing Leão outside toward the touchline rather than allowing him to cut inside onto his stronger right foot, and the winger's cross came in from a tight angle—too close to Musso who collected comfortably.

The Atalanta goalkeeper took three quick steps forward and launched a throw toward Koopmeiners in space near the halfway line, and the Dutchman's first touch was perfect before he played a simple pass to Demien who'd dropped again to receive.

This time Tonali was on him immediately—within two yards when the ball arrived—and Demien's options were limited because Milan's defensive shape had already reset with Bennacer covering the space in front of the defense.

Demien received on the half-turn, his back to goal, and felt Díaz closing from behind while Calabria had tucked inside to cut off the forward passing lane—Milan's defensive structure adjusting to deny space.

The La Croqueta Chain activated instinctively.

His left foot dragged the ball sharply right, body feinting left with his shoulders dropping to sell the direction, and Díaz's weight shifted to follow—but Demien's right foot was already pulling the ball back left in the opposite direction, completing the double feint in less than a second.

Díaz was beaten cleanly, stumbling slightly as his momentum carried him the wrong way, and gasps rippled through the away section where two thousand Atalanta fans recognized quality when they saw it.

But Calabria had read the space.

The Italian right-back had tucked inside specifically to cover this situation, and he arrived just as Demien completed the chain, forcing him to shield the ball rather than turn toward goal.

Demien's enhanced strength (92 rating) made the difference. He planted his back against Tonali's chest, core engaged and center of gravity low, and managed to shield possession long enough to slide a pass through to Malinovskyi who'd made a late run from deep.

The Ukrainian fired first-time from twenty-two yards, his shot rising with power, but Maignan read it early—adjusting his positioning and catching rather than parrying to control the rebound.

18th Minute

Milan built patiently from Maignan's distribution, the goalkeeper playing short to Kjær who circulated back to Tomori who found Bennacer drifting deep to receive.

The ball moved faster than Atalanta could press, four quick passes that progressed Milan from their own box to Atalanta's half in six seconds, and Díaz received between the lines with space to turn.

De Roon closed quickly but Díaz was already moving, his low center of gravity allowing him to change direction sharply and drive past Atalanta's captain with a shoulder drop that created half a yard of separation.

His through ball was weighted perfectly toward Leão's run in behind, but Tolói had anticipated the pass and intercepted with a stretching leg that deflected the ball out for a throw-in deep in Atalanta's defensive third.

20th Minute

The throw-in came to Díaz again, Milan circulating possession near the edge of Atalanta's box, and every pass carried purpose even when it appeared lateral—pulling Atalanta's defensive shape wider, creating gaps between players that Milan could exploit with one incisive pass.

Díaz played it back to Tonali who'd drifted into space twenty-five yards from goal, and the Italian midfielder took one touch before floating a pass toward the back post where Theo had charged forward unmarked.

The French fullback's run was perfectly timed, arriving between Mæhle and Tolói with space to attack the ball, and his volley was struck cleanly—but Musso somehow adjusted mid-dive to tip it over the bar with his right hand fully extended.

Corner to Milan. The fourth already, and they'd barely played twenty minutes.

Commentator: "Musso is keeping Atalanta in this match. Another excellent save denies Theo, but Milan are creating chances at will here. It's one-way traffic."

Co-Commentator: "Complete domination from the home side. Atalanta can't get out of their own half when they win the ball back."

22nd Minute

Milan's corner routine was short again, worked to Calabria on the right side of the box, and the fullback's cross came in low toward the near post where Giroud attacked with Djimsiti tight on his back.

Both players challenged for the ball, Djimsiti getting enough contact to send it spinning toward the far post rather than toward goal, and Pasalic reacted quickly—sliding to clear before Leão could capitalize on the loose ball.

The clearance reached Koopmeiners just outside the box, and the Dutchman controlled under pressure before playing a quick pass to Demien who'd found space in the left channel.

Demien received facing forward for the first time all match, Tonali scrambling to close the five yards between them, and Bennacer was also converging from the right side—two elite defensive midfielders collapsing on him simultaneously.

Now, Demien thought, and his decision was already made.

He drove forward three yards with the ball at his feet, using his enhanced ball control (88 rating) to manipulate it at pace, and performed the Near-Post Dash movement—a sharp diagonal run that attacked the space between Tomori and Calabria's positioning.

Tomori stepped to challenge as Demien attacked the space, and Demien's right foot executed a lofted dink pass before Díaz could track back—the ball floating over Tomori's head with backspin that killed its momentum.

The pass dropped toward Højlund who'd timed his run to arrive at the near post just as the ball descended, and the Danish striker's first touch redirected it toward goal with the inside of his right foot—but his connection was slightly off, the ball skidding wide of Maignan's near post by inches.

The away section erupted in frustrated groans while the Danish striker held his head in his hands, and Demien jogged over to encourage him—tapping his temple twice in the universal signal for good run, better luck next time.

Commentator: "Oh, that is SO close! Højlund just can't direct it on target. The chance was there, but the finish lets him down."

Co-Commentator: "Excellent work from Atalanta on the counter. They're dangerous when they win the ball high up the pitch, but those moments are rare tonight."

25th Minute

Milan's response was immediate and aggressive.

Tonali won the ball in midfield from Pasalic with a perfectly timed tackle, and his first pass went wide to Calabria who'd pushed high up the right flank again.

The Italian right-back drove forward with purpose, one-two with Díaz that eliminated Malinovskyi from the play, and suddenly Milan had created a 3v2 overload on that side of the pitch with Calabria, Díaz, and Bennacer combining against Mæhle and Tolói.

Calabria's cross came in low and dangerous, aimed toward the penalty spot where Giroud had peeled away from Djimsiti's marking, but the Albanian defender recovered brilliantly—throwing his body in front of the ball and blocking with his chest before it could reach the French striker.

The ball ricocheted toward Leão at the top of the box, and the Portuguese winger controlled it on his thigh before setting himself to shoot from twenty yards.

His attempt was struck with venom, rising toward the top corner, but Musso was perfectly positioned—catching cleanly with both hands before launching a quick counter.

The goalkeeper's throw reached De Roon in space near the halfway line, and Atalanta's captain turned immediately to find Demien making a run down the left channel.

But Tonali had anticipated it.

The Milan midfielder intercepted the pass with his positioning rather than his tackle, simply standing in the passing lane and collecting the ball before Demien could receive, and Milan's press triggered again as they hunted the ball with renewed intensity.

26th Minute

What happened next was a masterclass in elite attacking football.

Tonali's first pass went to Díaz centrally, the Spanish midfielder receiving under pressure from Koopmeiners but managing to turn and drive forward two yards before threading a pass that split Atalanta's midfield entirely—a ball that shouldn't have been possible but somehow threaded through the smallest gap imaginable.

The pass found Leão in stride, and the Portuguese winger had only Tolói between him and Musso with forty yards of space to attack.

Leão's acceleration was frightening.

He covered ten yards in what felt like three seconds, the ball barely touching the grass as he pushed it forward and used pure speed to close on Tolói who backpedaled desperately while trying to force Leão wide.

But Tolói was isolated, his defensive partner Djimsiti too far away to help, and Leão cut inside onto his right foot with a sharp touch that created the angle to shoot.

Demien was thirty yards away when the pass was played—too far to affect the defensive phase—but the Vidal technique activated unconsciously as he recognized the danger.

His stamina regeneration kicked in, legs finding fresh energy despite twenty-six minutes of intense pressing, and he sprinted back with desperate intensity that his teammates would remember later.

Demien's acceleration (91 rating) allowed him to close the gap impossibly fast, covering twenty yards while Leão was covering thirty, and he arrived just as the winger shaped to shoot.

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